A mother and her two-year-old daughter were enjoying an autumn stroll through Olbrich Gardens Tuesday afternoon, when a naked man yelling and singing at the “top of his lungs” appeared.
According to a Madison Police Department statement, a 31-year-old Stoughton woman who was pushing her daughter in a stroller in the botanical gardens, located at 3330 Atwood Ave., at 2:15 p.m. was “shocked” when a naked man appeared in front of them.
“A pleasant walk at Olbrich Gardens, on a warm early October day, quickly turned disturbing for a Stoughton mother Tuesday afternoon,” the statement said.
The victim sought out park employees, the statement said. They confronted the suspect who was fully clothed at that point asked him to leave. However, when police arrived, the man was yelling and shouting.
According to the statement, the suspect told police he was simply enjoying the outdoors. The statement said the suspect said things such as “I’m living my life” and “enjoying nature.” The suspect was singing at the top of his lungs while he was being escorted into the back of a police car, the statement said.
Police arrested the suspect, 25-year-old Albert D. Love, for two counts of lewd, lascivious behavior and disorderly conduct, the statement said. He did not have a current address listed.
MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain said police do not know if Love has committed other similar offenses because he did not have a current residence anywhere. DeSpain said Love presented an Illinois identification card when he was taken to jail, which indicates he might not be from the area.
DeSpain said they don’t know what caused Love to act the way he did, and he said police do not know what causes people to commit acts of exposure in public places like the gardens. He said MPD has seen other incidents of exposure in other areas before, but none have been reported in Olbrich Gardens.
“As far as if drugs, alcohol or mental illness affected Love’s behavior, I wouldn’t want to wager a guess on that,” DeSpain said.